Caffeine has been a huge thing for everyone trying to get work done. Students tend to drink caffeine by bringing it to school, but how does it really affect someone in high school?
What Is Caffeine?
People drink things with caffeine, such as soda, energy drinks, and coffee, adding flavors or sugar. So what even is caffeine? Caffeine acts as a stimulant that influences the nervous system, prompting the body to generate and release adrenaline. Caffeine is a substance that occurs naturally in at least 60 plants including ones like coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts, and cacao pods. There is man-made synthetic caffeine used in scattering things like cold medicines, gum, snacks, and some pain relievers.
How much caffeine are you consuming?
People often forget how much caffeine they are consuming in a day since caffeine varies in different types of drinks. But in the general run of things,
(For reference, the FDA advises people ages 12 to 17 should be drinking less than 100 mg a day.)
In a regular coffee (85 mg in an 8 fl oz cup)
In a Energy drink (200 mg in 12 oz)
In a regular soda (35-70 mg in 12 fl oz)
1 cold relief medicine tablet (30 mg)
In iced tea (30 mg in 8 oz)
Negative and Positive Effects on Teenagers
For the Positive, statistics have shown people do work harder after drinking caffeine, waking themselves up and having a fresh eye instead of being drained throughout the day. Caffeine can have a positive effect on someone throughout the day, enhancing and elevating one’s mood. Improving focus and alertness. The health benefits of caffeine can help treat migraines when taking pain relievers such as acetaminophen and aspirin can help reduce fatigue. Some studies show that drinking caffeine can lower the risk of having depression.
Caffeine can also cause negative effects on teenagers impacting their physical and mental health. It can lead to things such as disturbing your sleep at night. I his article titled Caffeine and Its Effects on Teenagers, Sheldon Reid says, “Caffeine actually works by blocking the effects of a chemical in your body that promotes sleepiness” (Reid). It can interfere with your daily activities at/after school and, for your health, caffeine can risk increasing one’s heart rate, blood pressure, and heartburn symptoms, leading to long-term effects in life. And mental effects of caffeine can become sort of a drug to you if you don’t control the amount you are intaking from developing a tolerance to caffeine and causing anxiety, especially with people that are prone to anxiety.
As a high schooler, my opinion on this topic is that caffeine is a positive tool to use during the semester. When studying for tests or generally, in my classes, I will bring coffee to wake myself up and have an open mind during a lesson. It also boosts my mood: getting to go to my favorite coffee shop and figure out what kind of drink I will want for the day.
https://www.helpguide.org/family/parenting/caffeine-and-its-effects-on-teenagers